Alfie Steele: Jury out in trial of pair accused of murdering boy

Alfie Steele, nine, was found dead in a bath at his home in Droitwich in February 2021

Jurors have retired to consider their verdicts in the trial of a mother and her partner charged with the murder of her nine-year-old son.

Alfie Steele was found unresponsive at his home in Droitwich, Worcestershire, on 18 February 2021.

Carla Scott claimed her son fell asleep in the bath but prosecutors believe he was being dunked as punishment.

The 35-year-old and her partner Dirk Howell, 41, have denied murder during the trial at Coventry Crown Court.

The jury is also able to consider alternative charges of manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Mr Howell, of Princip Street in Newtown, Birmingham, has also admitted four counts of child cruelty, which Ms Scott, of Vashon Drive in Droitwich, has denied.

Dirk Howell (r) is on trial alongside Alfie's mother Carla Scott (l)

Over the course of the trial, the court was told how Mr Howell had been staying at Alfie's family home in Vashon Drive despite an order from social services that he not spend the night.

He said he had first started smacking Alfie in October 2020 but claimed he had lied when he had previously said in a defence statement he would dunk him in cold baths "on the odd occasion".

• Murder-accused man smacked boy days before he died

• Accused mother denies smacking son, nine

• Dead boy’s injuries from ‘adult who lost control'

Jurors were played phone calls from neighbours to police concerned about Alfie's welfare, including instances of him being locked outside and forced to stand in the garden.

Judge Mr Justice Mark Wall sent the jury out on Friday morning and told them: "There is no time pressure on you as to how long you should take to reach verdicts.

"This is a serious case and you will want to give it the time you think it needs."